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Cover photoMajestic living welcomes story ideas and comments from readers.E-mail story ideas and comments to [email protected].
Celebrating the lifestyle, Communityand Culture of the Four Corners
MAGAZINE
publisher Don Vaughan
editor Cindy Cowan Thiele
designer Suzanne Thurman
writers Dorothy Nobis, Margaret Cheasebro,
Elizabeth Pettyjohn-Broten, Gail Vanik
photographers
Josh Bishop, Whitney Howle
sales staff
Shelly Acosta, Clint Alexander
Aimee Velasquez
For advertising information
Call 505.516.1230
by Whitney howle.
Vol. 7, No. 2 ©2015 by Majestic Media. Majestic Living is a quarterly publication. Material herein may not be reprintedwithout expressed written consent of thepublisher. If you receive a copy that is torn or damaged call 505.516.1230.
Follow us on @MajesticMediaUSmajesticmediaUSA
contributorsMarGarEt ChEasEbro has been a freelancewriter for over 30 years. her articles have appeared in many magazines across the country.she was a correspondent for the albuquerquejournal and worked for several local newspapers. she has four published books ofchildren’s puppet scripts. a former elementaryschool counselor, she is a reiki Master and practices several alternative healing techniques.she enjoys playing table tennis.
josh bishoP is a graduate of san juan College with an associate degree in DigitalMedia arts and Design. he currently worksat Majestic Media as a video producer and photographer.
WhitNEy hoWlE was born and raised in Farmington and is proud to call san juan Countyhome. the richness of the landscape and the diverse people, culture and traditions are a photographers dream. Whitney has his ba in Visual Communication from Collins College intempe, ariz. he is a co-owner of howle Designand Photography—a family owned studio offering graphic design, photography, market research and consulting.
Gail VaNik holds a ba in English and a Master's in international relations but was sidetracked from thosecareer choices when she moved to the Four Corners region 16 years ago from lancaster, Pa. she and herhusband, Vic, own Four seasons Greenhouse and Nursery in Dolores, but writing remains an interest anda passion. she has been a contributing writer for the telluride Watch, the Cortez journal, and boomersand beyond, covering topics ranging from gardeningadvice to feature articles. Gail is also a regular contributor to industry specific publications such astoday's Garden Center Magazine and lawn and Gardenretailer, where she writes about topics such as inventory management and point of sale systems.
ElizabEth PEttyjohN-brotEN is a local freelance grant writer and resource DevelopmentCoordinator for the Four Corners Foundation. she enjoys cooking and traveling with her husband, Matt, raising her beautiful children, andwhile walking her yorkie, Nigel, contemplatinglife’s existential dilemmas.
Dorothy Nobis has been a writer and editor formore than 25 years. she authored a travel guide,the insiders Guide to the Four Corners, published by Globe Pequot Press, and has been a frequent contributor to New Mexico Magazine .
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springfeatures:
When Cory Farrell enlisted in the Air Force in April
2010, he joined that branch of the military because he
wanted to be a dog handler.
By Margaret Cheasebro
Returning Vet16
A shout of “Look what I
found’ rings out across the
excavation site. A summer
camp participant has found
a pottery shard, complete
with the fingerprints of the
potter still intact.
By Gail Vanik
You’ll dig it30
To retired attorney Damon Weems, life
is about connection. From the time he
was a boy, his connections with people,
the river and bluegrass music have
helped him find success and happiness.
By Margaret Cheasebro
Connectivity34
Nathan Hill loves Tj’s Downtown Diner. He loves
his customers, he loves preparing their favorite
dishes, and he loves the work. But most of all, Hill
loves the memories.
By Dorothy Nobis
You’re family at TJ’s10
Raised on a ranch in Huerfano, New Mexico, and educated as
a psychologist, 28-year-old Jolonzo Goldtooth suppressed his
artistic side for many years.
By Margaret Cheasebro
From Farmington to Fashion Week22
8 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
When Edward Kotyk began working at the
city of Aztec in 1999, the city didn’t have a
website. He helped to create one.
By Margaret Cheasebro
Documenting the past
for future generations40
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 9
Ken Triplett has had many goals in his life. Being an
Internet sensation has never been one of them.
By Dorothy Nobis
Labor of love goes viral48About seven years ago, Bruce Bowen bought an air-
plane kit. The kit Bowen purchased was $14,000 and
isn’t the kind you’ll find at a hobby store.
By Dorothy Nobis
Seven years of just plane fun52
Everyone is born with a
unique talent, but not
every talent is destined
to receive international
acclaim or to be show-
cased on the world’s
stage.
By Elizabeth Pettyjohn-Broten
Cherise Lukow:
An extraordinary gift to the world56
When Jenny Lambert walks into a classroom at the San
Juan College Adult Basic Education, or ABE, program, she
sees more than just the faces of the students.
By Dorothy Nobis
Making a Difference60
Nathan Hill loves TJ’s Downtown Diner. He
loves his customers, he loves preparing their
favorite dishes, and he loves the work. But
most of all, Hill loves the memories.
Hill’s dad, Jim Arganas, opened Pancake
Alley in 1963. In 1979, Arganas sold the busi-
ness, but kept the building at 119 E. Main St.
Arganas stayed in the restaurant business and
opened Argies restaurant at 2001 Bloomfield
Highway in 1983, remaining at that location
for about six years. In 1989, Arganas re-
turned to the building downtown and named
it TJ’s – the T for Terry, Hill’s mother, and the
J for Jim.
Arganas remodeled the building and in June
of 1989 TJ’s opened its doors.
Hill has been part of the restaurant since
he was about 7 years old. “By then, I could
reach the griddle and I’d cook pancakes. My
brother bussed tables,” Hill said.
In 1979, Hill left the kitchen at TJ’s and
went to work for the Farmington Fire Depart-
ment. He retired from the department in
2002, but stayed on part time until 2007. It
was then that Hill returned to TJ’s and the
kitchen. As the new manager/owner, one of
the first things Hill did as the new boss was to
fire a longtime employee – his own mother.
“I told her it was time to retire and enjoy
her golden years,” Hill said.
Retire, she did, and Hill began his mission
of carrying on the family tradition, created by
his dad, of serving up great food in good
portions, in a family friendly environment at
prices families could afford – just as his dad
did.
“At first, I was here all the time,” Hill said
with a slight shake of his head. “That first full
year, after I took over, business was up 33
percent.” Unfortunately, 2008 and 2009
were not good years for businesses. The re-
cession hit and TJ’s, like other businesses, felt
it. “In 2009, though, we were only down 6
percent, while everyone else (in business) was
down in the double digits,” Hill said.
Things got better. “This last year – 2014,
was the biggest grossing year in TJ’s history,”
Hill said proudly.
Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Whitney Howle
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 11
Great food, friendly people and familiar faces on the daily menu
You’re familyat TJ’s
12 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
While the business continues to be successful
under his direction, Hill is quick to credit Ar-
ganas for instilling in him the same work ethic
his dad had.
“When I took over full time, I ran it the very
same way Dad did. I cook the same sauces and
everything here is still homemade. We have
some different menu items, but the ‘machito,’ a
little burro (burrito) that Dad invented, is still a
mainstay on the menu.”
Homemade soup is still made every morning.
“On Mondays, we make Dad’s chicken noodle
soup,” Hill said, adding that the restaurant is full
of customers enjoying that soup each Monday.
With an extensive lunch menu – TJ’s is open
from 5:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through
Fridays and from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on
Saturdays – that offers up those homemade
dishes, most of which were created by his dad,
it is breakfast that brings in the customers.
The Two Car Pile Up starts with two fresh,
homemade biscuits that are split in half and
topped with hash brown potatoes, diced bacon
or sausage and two eggs. Then, it is all covered
with a rich cream gravy and topped with a
green chili sauce and cheese. It is one of the
most popular breakfast items. For those with a
“lighter” appetite, the One Car Pile Up can be
ordered with just one biscuit. Hill said 70 per-
cent of the restaurant’s business comes from
breakfast.
But not all of TJ’s customers are looking for
a heavy breakfast, Hill added. “Jim Easley has
been coming to the restaurant for years and he
always orders a bowl of oatmeal,” Hill said with
a laugh.
In fact, Jim Easley has been enjoying break-
fast, coffee and lunch with the Arganas family
for more than 46 years. “When it (TJ’s) was the
Pancake Alley, I was working for Farmington
Lumber,” Easley said. “I worked there for 24
years and I had quite a few meals there. I’d
have breakfast there and sometimes, I’d stop to
get a cup of coffee.”
Easley enjoyed Jim Arganas, and when Ar-
ganas moved from downtown Farmington, Easley
followed him.
By then, Easley was working for another
company, and he and his wife shared many
meals there. Arganas eventually went to work
for Greenlawn Cemetery, and by then Arganas
had moved back downtown to its current loca-
tion. “I guess you could say I’ve been a cus-
tomer for many years,” Easley said, with a laugh.
Easley admitted that oatmeal is his breakfast
of choice, but it wasn’t always that way. “I
loved their pancakes and eggs when I worked
hard,” he explained. “But now I enjoy oatmeal
because it’s what keeps people alive,” he
added.
But it isn’t just the food that keeps Easley
coming back most mornings for all those years.
It’s the people. While many of the men with
whom he used to enjoy coffee and breakfast
are gone, Easley said he has made new friends.
“They’re all ex-pilots,” he said with a laugh,
“and I’m learning all about airplanes.”
Over the years, Easley has enjoyed the peo-
ple who work at TJ’s as much as his old – and
new – friends.
“They have wonderful people working there
and I’m always giving them fits about some-
thing,” he admitted with a grin.
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SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 13
Good food, good service and the memory of
Arganas aren’t the only things that make TJ’s a
popular eatery in Farmington, however. “We have
the same old cronies (come in) every day and
they’re the mainstay of our business. We couldn’t
stay in business without them. TJ’s is a destination
spot. People come here from all over town.”
“I attribute all of my success to the way Dad
did it,” Hill added.
Hill’s love and admiration for Arganas is evi-
dent in how he runs TJ’s and how he speaks of his
dad, who was not his biological father.
“In 1966, Daddy came into my life,” Hill said.
“He was a great father and he treated me like his
own kid. He taught me that people will come
back for the atmosphere and the food. He also
opened up the kitchen to everyone. People can
come through the back door (of the restaurant)
and walk through the kitchen (to the dining room)
and see that it’s clean – and it’s clean all the
time. I continue to operate under that premise.”
With new restaurants opening regularly in Farm-
ington, Hill said he’s not concerned about the
competition. “My wife and I try new restaurants,
just like everybody else,” he said. “I like knowing
what my competition is, but I don’t worry about
it. We give people good food and good portions
and they keep coming back. We have a great lo-
cation and people enjoy it.”
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14 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
Hill works hard at maintaining the quality of
food, the customer service and the family at-
mosphere his dad created.
All that work, however, comes at a price. He
gets up at 3:30 every morning to be at the
restaurant at 4:15. If all goes well and his staff
of 10 has everything under control, Hill heads
for home about 1 p.m. “It’s all good and I re-
ally enjoy it, but vacations don’t happen,” he
added.
On nice days, after work, Hill will take his
radio-controlled airplanes out to “play.” “I have
a shop that is totally dedicated to my RC air-
planes,” he said with a laugh.
“There’s an RC park off the Bisti Highway
and I go there to fly. I have small airplanes and
three that have a 109-inch wingspan.”
If it’s not his radio controlled airplanes he’s
enjoying, it’s his motorcycle. “I have a love af-
fair with my Harley,” Hill admitted. “My wife,
Sandy, and I went to Sturgis one year via Mil-
waukee and we were gone for 10 days, riding
4,500 miles on the Harley and I really enjoyed
it.” Those trips, he explained were possible be-
cause of his own kids, who took over while he
was gone.
Hill’s son Christopher has worked in the
restaurant and daughter Cassy still works there,
but it is the regular customers who have become
Hill’s extended family.
He knows their families, hears their stories,
shares their joys and their sorrows, and knows
their favorite dishes. Many of those customers
have been coming to TJ’s for years and they,
like the mother he fired, are in their golden
years.
Hill said while many of his customers have re-
tired, or are close to retirement, he has no
plans to join them. “I’ll keep going as long as I
can,” he said. “I’m 53 (years old) and I still have
a lot of years left in me.”
When and if retirement comes for Hill, he and
Sandy will travel and see the country.
Until then, however, Hill plans to continue to
honor the restaurant his dad established, enjoy
the customers who have become friends and
family, and – on a windless day – enjoy his
radio controlled airplanes.
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 15
“I’ll keep going as long as I can.I’m 53 (years old) and I still have
a lot of years left in me.”— Nathan Hill
16 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
Now he and Tico, a Belgian Malinois, are al-
most inseparable. They live in Albuquerque,
where Cory is stationed at Kirtland Air Force
Base. He handles a different dog now, and
Tico enjoys a well-deserved life as a pampered
pet in the off-base town house Cory shares
with his brother, Brian.
“We’ve decided the reason Cory and Tico
bonded so well is they have the same person-
ality,” said Cory’s dad, Joe Farrell, a book-
keeper at Farmington Iron and Metal. Both
are laid back, a lot of fun and a little lazy
when they’re relaxed, Joe explained, but on
duty they take their work seriously and are
focused, intense, and skilled.
Boy Scout experience
Cory’s interest in dogs began in high
school when his Boy Scout troop traveled
from Farmington to Kirtland Air Force base to
watch a demonstration in which a military
working dog ran after a “bad guy” and took
him to the ground.
“That was really cool,” Cory said. “I
thought I’d like to do that one day.”
For his senior project at Piedra Vista High
School, Cory shadowed Jason Solomon, a
member of the Farmington Police Depart-
ment’s SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics)
team, and he fell in love with police work.
“He was one of my oldest son’s best friends
in high school,” said Solomon, now an FPD
detective. “He was a bright-eyed, excited kid
with tons of potential. He ate up everything
we talked about when he was job shadowing
me. I was very proud to be part of that.”
Became community service officer
After graduating from Piedra Vista, Cory
became a community service officer and vol-
unteered to help with the FPD canine unit at
their training meetings.
“Every time they held training, I would go
and watch and be part of it as much as I
could,” Cory said.
From police officers, he learned that his
best option for becoming a dog handler was
to join the military, where he could get certi-
fied as a handler. Officers told him the certi-
fication would provide many job
opportunities once he left the military. So
Cory enlisted in the Air Force, which heads
the entire military working dog program for
the Department of Defense. That’s how he
met Tico.
Tico born at Lackland AFB
Tico was born at Lackland Air Force Base in
San Antonio, Texas, on March 21, 2006. He
spent about a year with a foster family until he
was old enough to be trained as a military
working dog. After 180 days of training, during
which he learned how to do patrol work and
locate narcotics by smell, Tico was sent to
Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.
After Cory completed basic and technical
training at Lackland, where he learned basic
law enforcement work, he too was sent to
Kadena Air Base.
“I worked there as a straight leg,” Cory said.
“I was a basic security force member, checking
IDs, doing basic law enforcement work.”
Two years later, he had the chance to be-
come a dog handler and returned to Lackland
for an 11-week training course. After earning
his dog handler certification, he returned to
Kadena, where Tico became his first military
working dog. They worked together for a year.
Tico helps Cory through sad time
“I was his 11th handler,” Cory said. At the
time, Cory’s marriage was ending. To help him
through that rough time, Cory sometimes took
Tico out of his kennel when he was off-duty,
settled under a tree, and told Tico about his
troubles.
“Dogs can’t talk back, but they can certainly
listen,” Cory said. “The funny thing with him is
when he’s not working he’s extremely lazy. He
loves to just sleep. But when I would
Tico’s military service ended but his bond with Cory Farrell will last forever
Story by Margaret Cheasebro | Photos by Whitney Howle
18 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
talk to him, he would stay awake, like he was ac-
tually listening to me. We had an emotional
bond.”
When they worked together, Tico was his part-
ner, going with him everywhere. “If I went inside
a building, he went inside a building,” Cory said.
“Literally, he followed me around. That was his
job. He protected me.”
Tico has top notch skills
Besides doing basic police work, sometimes
handlers held demonstrations to show people
how well trained Tico and other military working
dogs were. “We want people to know what these
dogs are capable of,” Cory said. “Tico’s really
fast. He can jump high. We’d do demonstrations
where we’d roll down the back window of our
Chevy 1500 truck and put a bad guy in the back
with a bite top on. I’d tell Tico to get him. He’d
jump through the window and pull him out.”
Every 30 days Tico completed odor training
so he could stay certified as a dog who could
sniff out narcotics. “We tested the dogs to see if
they could find what they were trained to find,”
Cory said. “Tico was always 100 percent.”
He wore a collar that said, “Don’t touch. I
bite,” in both English and Japanese, because
Japanese people wanted to pet him. They didn’t
understand the danger of petting a dog who had
been trained to be aggressive. Tico still wears
that collar.
Cory adopts Tico
Eventually, Cory moved on to another assign-
ment, and Tico was paired with his 12th handler.
Cory and his new military working dog, Rreese
(the double “r” means he was a puppy program
dog), were about to be deployed to Southwest
Asia in 2014, when Cory’s friends at Kadena told
him that Tico was being retired for medical rea-
sons.
Tico had developed a urinary tract infection
and enteritis, an inflammation of the small in-
testines. His condition required surgery, and
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SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 19
Tico must take two medications for the rest of his
life.
Cory filled out the paperwork necessary to
adopt Tico, but he couldn’t pick him up because
he was headed for a six-month stint in Southwest
Asia. Transporting a dog from Japan to the States
would have cost about $1,500, which was hard
for Cory to afford. A staff sergeant and good
friend of Cory’s was going from Japan to Las
Vegas, Nevada, for a vacation. He offered to take
Tico on the plane with him. “It’s only like $300
for a plane ticket,” Cory said.
“He got to ride up in the cabin,” explained
Cory’s mom, Beverly, who works for the city of
Farmington as an administrative aide at the Animas
Power Plant. “We have a picture of Tico taking up
two seats and sprawled out with his head on a pil-
low.”
Tico big but friendly
Cory’s parents hired a pet moving service to
bring Tico from Las Vegas to Albuquerque, where
Brian lives and works for Honeywell. Brian kept him
for two weeks until Joe and Bev could get a kennel
ready at their Farmington home.
“I’ve always been afraid of dogs, so a dog the
size of Tico was very intimidating to me,” Joe said.
“I was worried about having a big military dog
come stay with us, but Brian called to reassure me.
He said, ‘You’ll be fine, Dad. You’ll love him. He’s
a great dog.’”
Courtesy photo
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20 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
Brian quizzed Cory about what command words
not to use that could set Tico off, but Tico never
became aggressive. Off duty, he’s a lazy, happy
dog. However, he had a way of clamping his mouth
around things that Joe and Bev didn’t always want
him to have.
“I’d say, ‘Let go. Let me have it,’” Joe recalled.
“I’d fight with him, but I couldn’t get it out of his
mouth. Well, come to find out, all we had to do
was say, ‘Out,’ and Tico would have dropped it.
We didn’t know that until Cory got back, and I saw
him do it.”
Adjusting to non-military life
Bev watched Joe interact with Tico during the six
months Cory was out of the country. “He’d get up
during the night to check on Tico,” she recalled.
“He would take him out first thing and feed him.
Everything was like clockwork for Tico. Joe took his
job serious. Nothing was going to happen to Tico
on his watch.”
When Tico got sick and didn’t eat for several
days, they took him to a Farmington vet, who
pored over his thick military medical file and pro-
vided the treatment that helped Tico improve.
At first, Tico didn’t know he was retired. He
paced all the time and was on constant alert. “If I
took him out at night and he’d see something, he’d
go into military mode,” Joe said. “Sometimes it
gave me the creeps because I didn’t know what he
was looking at out there. But the longer we had
him, the more he mellowed.”
Walking Tico a challenge
Walking Tico was a learning experience. “When
we first got him, I was trying to find ways to keep
him entertained,” Joe said. “I thought I’d take him
up around Farmington Lake for a walk. He dragged
me from smell to smell to smell. I found out that
this was not going to work. It was not about walk-
ing. It was about smelling everything.
Once a police helicopter flew near their house,
and Tico became excited and agitated. He paced
around. “You could tell that it must have triggered
something in him,” Joe said.
Even today if someone comes near Joe and Bev,
Tico will place himself between the Farrells and the
visitor. “That’s his instinct, to protect his handler,”
Joe explained.
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SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 21
When Cory returned from Southwest Asia, he
was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, and Tico
went to Albuquerque to stay with Cory and Brian.
There he lives a life of luxury. But that doesn’t in-
cluding eating table scraps. Tico has never eaten
people food. He’s on a special diet of high protein
and low fat dog food, which is kept in a special
container just for him.
Special bond
Though Cory and his new military working dog,
Rreese, have a good relationship, his bond with
Tico is extra special. Cory’s parents honor that
bond, and they loved taking care of Tico while
Cory was deployed.
“We took taking care of him very serious,” Joe
said. “Men and women come home from the mili-
tary, and they serve. Well, the animals do, as well.
Tico spent his entire life serving our country, so we
took it very serious that he needed to be treated
with respect.”
“Tico spent his entire life serving ourcountry, so we took it very seriousthat he needed to be treated with
respect.”— Joe Farrell
Raised on a ranch in Huerfano, New Mexico, and educated as a psychologist, 28-year-
old Jolonzo Goldtooth suppressed his artistic side for many years. He internalized the
false belief that artists could not make a living fo
r themselves and that his family would
look down on him if he pursued his interest in fashion instead of becoming a doctor,
lawyer or engineer.
All of that changed when he started designing clo
thes and established his business, JG
Indie. Indie stands for Independent. Once he began following his heart, the opportuni-
ties snowballed, culminating in an invitation to show his designs at the
PLITZS New York
City Fashion Week on Feb. 19 at Hotel Pennsylvania in midtown Manhattan. H
is mis-
guided fear was wrong; his family is proud of him.
22 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
Story by Margaret Cheasebro | Photos by Whitney Howle
Courtesy photos
Fashion designer Jolonzo Goldtooth shows
his collection in New York
From Farmington
to Fashion Week
Takes team with him
He took a team of 15 models, photographers,
accessory creators, designers, marketers, and hair
and makeup artists with him to New York, not
only to assist him, but to help them pursue their
dreams. They had several fund-raising activities
for the trip, the last one a fashion gala at the
Three Rivers Banquet Hall in Farmington, where
Jolonzo showcased some of his designs.
“The concept we put forth on that New York
runway is that Native Americans are still here,”
he said. “We are not stuck in tepees. We are a
very developed culture. We’re in New York
City doing New York City Fashion Week along-
side international, well-noted people.”
Because Jolonzo has always used American
Indians to model his designs, he asked PLITZS
founder Wayne Shields if he could bring his
own models.
Models find success
“He said they would have to audition,”
Jolonzo related. “A lot of them couldn’t make
it to New York because they live on their re-
spective reservations or other places. So I put
it out on Facebook that if they wanted to walk
for the New York City Fashion Week and with
me, JG Indie, to contact me.”
He gave auditioning outlines to the 35
American Indian models who responded. Eight
of them were picked to model for PLITZS New
York City Fashion Week. “I have six female and
two male Native American models who got ac-
cepted by the agency in New York,” he said.
“They walked in that fashion show not only for
me but for notable designers from China,
United Kingdom, France – everywhere. I’m re-
ally excited for them.”
Shows 25 looks
Jolonzo showed 25 designs, or looks, at
fashion week, the most he was allowed. “This is
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said. “I
wanted to show my versatility, all the things I
can do, because I want to make a living at
this.”
He divided his 25 looks into three sections:
masquerade, bathing suits, and couture includ-
ing dresses and an off-the-shoulder wedding
gown with some three-dimensional protruding
fabric.
“Jolonzo is phenomenal,” said Sherrie
Chenault of Farmington, who owns the market-
ing business, Root for Us. “His spirit shows
through his designs. We have the same view
that you can start from anywhere, come from
anywhere. If you have a dream and you believe
it and pursue it, you will find success.”
Some locals go with him
Sherrie’s daughter, Kyler Brooke Chenault,
models for Jolonzo. Sherrie and Kyler both
went to New York City Fashion Week with him.
Some others who accompanied him were Kino
Benally of Shiprock, who put the music to-
gether for his presentations; Goldie Tom of
24 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
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SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 25
Gallup, who was recruited by the PLITZS
Foundation as part of the make-up team for
the entire event; Stephanie, a native of the
Klamath Tribe from the state of Washington,
who creates shoes for his designs; and April
Ledford of the Lumbe Tribe from Colorado
Springs, who designs accessories for his gar-
ments.
Teams are important to Jolonzo. “It’s been
my experience,” he said, “that even in photo
shoots and creating concepts, it takes an en-
tire village to put a look together. The reason
why someone looks so good in a magazine is
that 15 to 20 people behind the scenes made
them look that good.”
He is up-and-coming
Michael Billie, a Web technition with Ca-
pacity Builders in Farmington, is helping
Jolonzo look good on the Internet by working
with him to build a website. “He is up-and-
coming,” Michael said. “There’s an earthy
quality in his work. It’s contemporary with a
Native American influence.”
Jolonzo credits his family with helping him
find success. He lives with his grandparents on
a ranch in Huerfano, where he’s employed to
help manage 300 head of cattle and some
sheep and goats. His grandmothers and aunts
taught him to sew. His Aunt Elizabeth once
worked as a seamstress for a Durango skiing
and snowboarding company.
“She brought back a lot of material, and
she had several sewing machines around,”
Jolonzo recalled. “If any of us kids were
bored, they’d say, ‘Cut out some of these
patterns.’ They quilted, so I learned how to
quilt first. There was a machine and a needle.
It intrigued me. I’m a very visual learner, and
it was easy for me to pick up.”
Graduated from PVHS
He graduated from Piedra Vista High
School in 2005 and wanted to go to college,
though none of his relatives had a college de-
gree. He chose the University of New Mexico
26 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
because it offered him enough scholarships to be
affordable. Before starting his undergraduate
work, he was accepted into the American Indian
Summer Bridge Program at UNM that built a cur-
ricular bridge between high school and college.
“That was my first step to leaving Farmington,”
he said. “I’d been born and raised here in north-
west New Mexico. I’m not an experienced trav-
eler, so Albuquerque was a cultural shock for
me.”
Majored in psychology
He majored in psychology, minored in Ameri-
can Indian studies and joined Beta Sigma Epsilon,
an American Indian fraternity. He became direc-
tor of the Student Lobby Committee.
“I convened the students, and we came up
with issues we wanted to put up at the state Leg-
islature,” he said. “I went there and lobbied for
such things as continuing the lottery scholarship
and requesting funding to help the university be
more energy efficient.”
While at UNM, he began modeling for the Na-
tive Model Studio and met many artists in the
local fashion industry. “I surrounded myself with
artistic people at the university,” he said. “I’d al-
ways had an artistic side to myself, but I sup-
pressed it because I had this upbringing that said
I needed to put food on the table, so how am I
going to survive as an artist?”
After he graduated from UNM, he went to Fort
Lewis College in Durango to do an internship in
psychology. That would have led to studying for
his master’s degree, but he couldn’t find grants
or scholarships.
Decided to sew
“After my internship in 2012, I went home
broke and pretty much bored,” Jolonzo recalled.
“I decided ‘I know how to sew, so why don’t I
put something together?’”
He wasn’t used to being idle. He had worked
ever since he was 13, doing such things as ranch-
ing, working at Navajo Agricultural Products In-
dustry, in a restaurant, as a fashion show
coordinator, and for the Navajo Tribe as a youth
representative. He even worked for Native Max,
an online magazine based in Denver, helping to
create photo shoot concepts.
His mother had several sewing machines, and
his sister had some fabric she was going to throw
away, so Jolonzo used it to make an obi belt, a
type of Japanese belt used for traditional
dresses. He made it in the Harajuku style, a street
fashion in Tokyo.
Intrigued with Asian culture
“I was intrigued with the Asian culture,” he said. “Maybe it’s
something psychological, because there’s a strong connection be-
tween indigenous people of North America and Asia. Many of us
look Asian. The people attracted me to the culture.”
Nature also gives him design ideas. He loves to run and often
sees salt willow as he jogs. That inspired him to design a dress with
salt willow branches on the front.
While he created several garments that summer, a friend from
UNM called to say he was looking for a designer to attend the
Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprise fashion show during the Navajo
Nation Fair in Window Rock in August 2012. Jolonzo only had eight
looks, but he agreed to go.
Fair intimidated him
The fair intimidated him. “I’m Navajo from the Eastern Agency,
which is here in Farmington,” he said. We’re assimilated into the
modern culture. It’s very different than the central or western
Navajo Nation. They’re more traditional. A lot of designers there
were showing contemporary and traditional Navajo regalia. Here
I was with my interpretation of Harajuku, so I was very different
than everybody else.”
It was his first fashion show, and his obi design proved popu-
lar. Soon after that, he returned to Albuquerque, where he
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 27
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hoped to establish himself and get
his master’s degree in psychology.
There, he reestablished contact with
native artist friends, including an ac-
cessories designer who asked if he
wanted to make garments for the ac-
cessories she planned to show at the
Santa Fe Fashion Week that Novem-
ber. He said yes and started design-
ing in earnest.
Meets PVHS friend
at fashion week
During that fashion week, he con-
nected with an old friend, Sarah
Blueeyes. They had attended Piedra
Vista High School together. Sarah
graduated from Kent State University
and was working in the fashion in-
dustry in New York. She interned
with a designer who made a lot of
dresses for celebrities, including a
gown for First Lady Michelle Obama.
She also helped a company put together fash-
ion design catalogs. When she saw ads about
the 2012 Santa Fe Fashion Week, she decided
to go.
“I saw Jolonzo’s collection coming out, and
it caught my interest because I could see the
Native American mixed with the modern,” she
said. “He had Asian effects mixed with it, the
Harajuku. Then I saw him coming out, and I
thought, ‘Oh, wow, that’s Jolonzo!’ I had no
idea he was interested in fashion. He had put
together collages and collections with a story
to it. That’s what I liked. He’s very outgoing,
motivated and creative. Most designers don’t
know who they are, but he knows exactly what
he wants.”
They’ve been in contact with each other
ever since. Sarah went with him to New York
Fashion Week to offer her technical and mar-
keting expertise.
Grandma offers fabric
His family supports his dream. “My grand-
mother is always digging through her surplus of
fabric,” he said. “She will walk into my room
and say, ‘You want this?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah! I’ll
take it.’ So my inventory of fabric is growing.”
In the spring of 2013, Jolonzo had a large
photo shoot in Albuquerque. Later, he was
hired as fashion coordinator for a 2014 festi-
val in Farmington. Through that experience, he
came in contact with Billie at Capacity
Builders, a business that caters to native artists
who are trying to build small businesses.
Locals learn about him
“He was surprised that nobody from Farm-
ington knew who I was or what I was doing,
and here I was going to the New York Fashion
Week,” Jolonzo said. Billie called local media
to spread the word about Jolonzo. With his
help, people are learning about this up-and-
coming designer who never went to design
school.
“I want to tell my story,” Jolonzo said. “I
want my journey to be documented. I was
born and raised in Farmington and the reserva-
tion. I take strong pride in that. You have to
pursue your dreams, work your hardest. Stop
thinking superficially and worrying about how
you’ll be judged. You can be who you want to
be.”
www.FlyGreatLakes.com1-800-554-5111Four Corners Regional Airport
1300 W. Navajo St. Farmington, NM • 505-599-1395
www.IflyFarmington.com
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You’ll dig it
region for over 30 years. It’s not difficult to find, but once you dis-
cover it, it’s a difficult place to forget. What makes it so unique is
that it invites the public to come each season and be part of the
research on an actual, working archaeological excavation site.
Participation levels can vary according to your interests but there is
something for anyone aged 10 to 110. If you are not sure what it’s all
about, new this year, you can get a brief introduction with their new
campus drop in tour on Wednesday, Thursday or Fridays from 10 a.m.
- 11 am, beginning in May. No reservations are necessary. Included in
the hour will be a brief introduction to archaeology and Crow
Canyon’s research, a tour of the campus and the pithouse classroom.
This is a wonderful complement to a visit to Mesa Verde as well as a
way to understand and put the archaeology of the Four Corners area
in context on a different level.
If you live in the area or have guests who have limited time, but
want a better sense of what Crow Canyon can offer, the Day Tour is
the perfect “day away” experience. Beginning in the morning with a
hands-on lesson, you will have the opportunity to learn about the
archaeology of this area, about ancestral Pueblo Indian history, and
examine replicas of artifacts. A tour of the curation room and Crow
Canyon’s lab will familiarize you with the methods used to analyze the
artifacts and connect them to the history of the region. After a
delicious lunch, you’ll head out to a working excavation site where
you can observe the archaeologists at work. Depending on where
they are digging, you may see pottery sherds scattered on the ground
or watch as someone discovers a projectile point, or uncovers some
other ancient tool. The Day Tour may also be customized and offers a
great one-day escape as a program for small groups seeking an un-
usual destination experience.
If the young person in your household is considering a career in
archaeology, why not introduce them to it by attending a summer
camp? Middle School Archaeology Camp, High School Archaeology
Camp, and High School Field School are all hands-on, archaeological
You and your kids can be archaeologists at Crow Canyon
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 31
Story by Gail Vanik | Photos courtesy Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
A shout of “Look what I found” rings out across the excavation
site. A summer camp participant has found a pottery shard, complete
with the fingerprints of the potter still intact. It’s this journey of
discovery and connection that makes Crow Canyon Archaeological
Center a truly unique place to visit.
Imagine being an archaeologist for a day, or a week, or longer.
That’s the experience that Crow Canyon provides, not only to locals,
but to participants from around the world. Nestled into a valley on
Road K, just west of Cortez, Colorado, this non-profit center has
been conducting archaeological research in the Mesa Verde
32 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
excavation programs where the students work
alongside Crow Canyon’s archaeologists to
discover and piece together the mysteries of
the ancient civilization which once inhabited
this area. Unlike many other summer camps and
programs, Crow Canyon puts their young
students in the field for actively participation
by doing actual research. Yes, they’re going to
get dirty – and most love every minute of it.
These programs range in length from one to
three weeks and attract students from all over
the United States, so not only is it a great way
to learn the science of archaeology, but also is
a great way to connect with others. In fact,
participants often cite that feeling of
“connecting” as one of the reasons they have
enjoyed the camps. Connecting with other
students who have similar interests. Connecting
with working archaeologists. Connecting with
someone from the past. Excavating and
touching the thumb print of the potter in a
shard that no one else may have touched for
centuries but was once a part of daily life.
If you have a thirst for exploration, Crow
Canyon’s adult programs also expand
opportunities for archaeology as a way to
touch and connect with the past. At the current
excavation sites, the Archaeology Lab Program
and Archaeology Research Program offer ways
to work either in the field excavating or in the
lab cleaning and analyzing the artifacts of the
area. Although work was completed this past
year on the Dillard Site, a brand new site will
be opened this summer and offers participants
a chance to be one of the first to excavate at
that location.
What might you find? Beads, pottery shards,
turquoise, and projectile points have all been
found. When asked about the handling of these
artifacts, Susan Ryan, Crow Canyon’s Director
of Archaeology said, “When they get to the
excavation site, they work alongside our
archaeologists, so they have all the guidance
they need to feel comfortable with what
they’re doing.” So have no fear; under the
expert guidance of the professional
archaeologists, you cannot damage anything.
Even if you’re not aspiring to be the next
Indiana Jones, the thrill of discovery is amazing
and can be life changing for anyone involved in
these programs. Some participants have come
simply to be part of a single program and now
return each season until an excavation at a
particular site is completed.
Teachers looking for a way to expand their
knowledge and find interesting experiences to
bring back to their students also enjoy Crow
Canyon’s hospitality during the summer months.
With funding from the National Endowment for
the Humanities, Crow Canyon offers summer
programs for teachers of kindergarten through
12th grade classes. This summer, a three-week
seminar includes visits to Mesa Verde, Santa Fe
and beyond, as a way to help teachers learn
from the questions they bring to the program,
then develop a new curriculum and take those
answers back to their classrooms.
Finally, if the thought of another boring
summer vacation this year doesn’t excite you,
then look into Crow Canyon’s Cultural
Explorations. These small group trips explore
not only in the region, but also globally.
Photos on page 30. Top photo, this pottery shard was found by a participant in Crow Canyon's Archaeology Research Program. Bottom photo, participants in a program at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez,Colo., practice the ancestral Pueblo method of starting a fire.
Photos on page 31. Top photo, a projectile point found in a Crow Canyon Archaeological Center excavation. Photo at left, at the Pithouse Learning Center, Crow Canyon educator Paul Ermigiotti teaches students skills thatwere essential to ancestral Pueblo people.
Students from Shiprock High School in New Mexicolearn how to coax a spark into a flame at the PithouseLearning Center at Crow Canyon.
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SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 33
Led by noted scholars and researchers, these are
first class tours centered around a wide variety of
archaeological topics which change each year. The
groups truly are small, usually 20 or less, and
provide an opportunity for an intimate experience
with others who are engaged, well versed in the
subject, or just have a thirst for knowledge
revolving around a particular topic. This year’s
trips include an exploration focused on the advent
of agriculture of the Southwest and the changes it
brought, another on archaeoastronomy in the Four
Corners, and several which study American Indian
art, culture and lifestyles of the region. Crow
Canyon’s long established relationships with land
management agencies across the area often allow
them to gain access to places which would not be
accessible or available to the general public and
that makes these tours special as well.
Melinda Elkin, a Cultural Explorations
participant from Seattle said, “An archaeology trip
with Crow Canyon is the best way to learn about
SW archaeology and have a good vacation! The
scholars are excellent, the accommodations are su-
perb, the pace is comfortable, and the leaders are
personable, flexible and efficient. There is always
a diverse offering of trips–something for everyone
with an interest in SW archaeology. The clientele is
informed and always very interested in learning
which makes for a stimulating experience.”
On a global level, Mexico, Crete, and
Guatemala are also on the itinerary for this year.
In the past trips have gone to far away places such
as Greece, Ireland, Egypt and Burma and offer a
chance to learn something new and explore
another region. That’s the beauty of these travel
adventures. Although archaeology can be exciting
anywhere, it’s often the chance to be immersed in
the culture and study in-depth in a particular
country in a one-on-one learning situation that
keeps members returning over the years.
No matter whether you dig the multitude of
archaeological experiences available right here in
the Four Corners, or seek to find them farther
afield around the world, Crow Canyon has a way
to connect with an adventure for you. For your
own chance to get down and dig in the dirt this
summer, or explore a new country or culture,
contact the center by calling 1.800.422-8975 or
visit their website at www.crowcanyon.org.
To retired attorney Damon Weems, life is
about connections. From the time he was a
boy, his connections with people, the river and
bluegrass music have helped him find success
and happiness. “We’re all connected in one
way or another,” he said.
Weems had a successful law practice in Farm-
ington for many years before he retired in
2007. His sons, Dathan and Derek, who are
lawyers in Albuquerque, also practice in a
Farmington branch office.
“They continue my practice of law with my
former legal assistant,” Weems said. “They
share an office with Gary Risley, across from
my old law office.”
Gained community respect
Weems has gained the community’s respect.
“He’s a good lawyer, and he’s honest,” said
former city of Farmington Mayor Bob Culpep-
per.
When Weems started practicing law here in
1974, he knew he wanted to be a trial attor-
ney, but he didn’t know what kind of cases to
handle.
“Your specialty chooses you,” he said.
“Over time I began to handle cases with peo-
ple who were badly injured. I felt it was my
mission that people who were badly injured
would get a fair shake in life. I used to work
for insurance companies that hired me to try
cases for them. When I won the case, it didn’t
feel good. Winning a case for somebody who
was really hurt and needed a new chance on
life – that really felt good.”
Proud of his sons
When his sons were little, over dinner he
often talked about his cases. They caught his
passion and followed in his footsteps. “I knew
they would take care of people who were
badly hurt, so I felt like I could retire,” he said.
“I’m so proud of what they do.”
David Pierce, who chaired the Citizens Bank
Board of Directors before he retired, has great
respect for Weems. “He’s a very unselfish fel-
low, and that really stands out these days,”
Pierce said.
Weems was 10 years old when his family
moved here. Born in Memphis, Tenn., to a cot-
ton farmer and his wife, he went to school in
Letanto, Ark. When he was in fourth grade, his
dad decided to stop being a cotton farmer
and headed west with his family.
Arrives during oil boom
“He had no idea where we were going,”
Weems recalled. “We were staying in Denver
during a rain storm so bad you couldn’t move
your car. The fellow at the motel said if he was
younger he would go to Farmington because
there was an oil boom going on. It was 1956.
So that’s what my dad did.”
Weems, his parents and their cocker spaniel,
Tippy, drove from Denver to Aztec, where they
settled into a house near the Animas River.
“I come from Arkansas where the rivers
looked like lakes and moved slowly,” he said.
“I went down to the Animas River and saw it
running fast. Tippy and I hung out at the river a
lot.”
The family soon moved to Farmington, and
Weems began fifth grade at Sacred Heart
Catholic School. When he was 10-and-a-half,
his younger brother, Tom, joined the family.
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 35
Story by Margaret Cheasebro | Photos by Josh Bishop
ConnectivityDamon Weems’ many interests have brought hima loving family, friends and community respect
36 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
Works in dad’s scrap metal yard
His dad owned a scrap metal yard in Farm-
ington, and from the time he was 12 until he
went to college, Weems worked for his dad.
“I busted batteries and separated the cop-
per from the brass,” he said. “I weighed the
metal that people brought in and prepared
their check for Dad to sign. I watched the of-
fice and did whatever Dad needed me to do.”
Part of his dad’s scrap metal yard went
down to the Animas River behind McDonald’s
on Tucker Street. “I tried to work down there
in that part of the junkyard so I could be near
the river,” he recalled.
Floats down river
When he and his friends were in high school
and wanted to run the river, they’d go down
to Western Tire and Appliance owned by John
Dean Sr., whom they called Big Daddy Dean
because the big man statue once stood on top
of that store before the building was torn
down.
“Big Daddy Dean would give us 10x20
truck tire tubes and over-inflate them so
they’d float well on the river, and he never
charged us a dime for them,” Weems said.
He graduated from Farmington High School
in 1964 and attended the University of New
Mexico, majoring in economics. In 1965, the
first summer he came home from college, he
needed a job, and the late Marvin Baggett
hired him to work in his law office.
Lawyer mentors him
“He taught me so much, trained me and en-
couraged me to be a lawyer,” Weems said. “He
taught me how to do legal research. He would
tell me to go to a law book and look on a
particular page in the middle of the page, and
there would be the quote he needed to put in
his brief for the case he was handling right
then.”
Weems’ car broke down when it was time to
return to UNM the fall of his sophomore year,
so Baggett loaned him his brand new convert-
ible. He kept it for a month until he could
make other transportation arrangements. While
he attended UNM, some Farmington attorneys,
including Baggett, hired him to do legal re-
search because he had easy access to the UNM
law school library.
Joins National Guard
When he graduated with a BA in economics
in 1968, he joined the New Mexico Air Na-
tional Guard. “They were advertising on the
radio that they needed pilots,” Weems re-
called. “As soon as I heard the ad, I joined. I
had an interest in flying. My father had been a
pilot all his adult life. My uncle was a pilot with
the Arizona National Guard, called the Cop-
perheads, and was inducted into the Arizona
Air Museum Hall of Fame. I was inspired by him
and wanted to pattern my career after him.”
After he completed Air Force Basic Training,
in 1969 he married Jann. “We got married as
soon as I was commissioned an officer in the
Air Force, because then I could begin to sup-
port her,” he said.
He went off to pilot training in Laredo,
Texas, then returned to Albuquerque in 1971,
where he began attending law school at UNM.
Friend provides law office
When he graduated in 1974, he returned to
Farmington to practice law. Bob Williams, the
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SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 37
father of a friend of his, made sure he had some-
place to practice.
“He said, ‘I’m going to give you an office, and
you pay $85 a month rent, but if you can’t afford
it you don’t have to pay it,’” Weems recalled. He
never missed a month paying his rent.
Late District Judge Byron Caton looked out for
him. “He made sure I had a contract with the New
Mexico Public Defenders so I wouldn’t starve,”
Weems said.
Other local attorneys helped too. “Every after-
noon I had questions about how to handle a case,”
Weems said. “And every afternoon I had five attor-
neys who were willing to meet with me and tell me
how I should practice law and handle my case. It was
the best mentorship a young man could have.”
Plans subdivision
About the time he retired, the family who
owned a tract of land next to his office wanted to
sell it to Weems. He bought it without any idea
what to do with it.
“I asked city planners what I should do with the
land,” he said. “They told me, and I did exactly
what they said.” They wanted him to create a sub-
division similar to the Suntuoso Subdivision above
Civitan Golf Course. It’s poised on a hilltop over-
looking a valley, and the hillside remains undevel-
oped as open space.
So on his gated community subdivision between
Hutton and Cherry Hills, Weems planned for 35
residential lots on a hilltop overlooking a valley.
The hillside below the houses is open space. So
far, about half of the lots have been developed.
When he asked Jann what to call the subdivision,
she suggested Rabbitbrush because the hillside is
covered with it.
Realtor Valerie Usselman takes care of the Rab-
bitbrush Ridge Planned Unit Development for him.
One of the many connections in his life, she’s the
daughter of Bob Williams, who rented him an of-
fice when he graduated from law school.
Passionate about the river
Weems never forgot another connection, his
passion for the river. He’s been active for many
years as a board member on the River Reach
Foundation.
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38 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
“A lot of my job has been to identify parcels
of land along the river where we could acquire
easements or buy land to extend the trail system,”
he said. “We want to extend the trails along the
river all through town. We’d like to have the trail
follow the river all the way to Aztec and maybe all
the way to Kirtland someday. Every time I’m down
at the river, I see people riding their bikes, walk-
ing with their kids or grandkids along the river
trail, wading or swimming in the river. There’s
something magical about people being near
water. They’ll stop and talk to total strangers if
they’re walking on that river trail, and they get to
know each other that way.”
Loves bluegrass music
Another connection in his life is bluegrass
music. Bob Williams’ younger brother, Bert
Williams, got him started playing the banjo when
he was in junior high. He continues to play the
banjo and guitar and has loved bluegrass music
ever since. He’s been a quiet encourager of area
bluegrass musicians, among them Tom Miller and
Bob Ashley, two of the four musicians in
Chokecherry Jam, a successful local bluegrass
band.
“Damon got me going to weekly bluegrass
jams,” said Ashley. “That attracted me to the
whole bluegrass network.”
Weems also encouraged Miller to attend
weekly jams. “That’s where my playing really took
off,” Miller said.
Weems’ sons love bluegrass music too. They
play it when they’re not too busy practicing law
and raising families. Dathan plays the guitar, and
Derek strums the mandolin.
“We play when the family’s up at our cabin at
Trout Lake between Rico and Telluride at the top
of Lizard Head Pass,” Weems said.
He also enjoys skiing with his family, including
his grandsons, ages 6 and 4.
Teaches guitar at church
Weems taught the youth at St. John’s Episcopal
Church how to play the guitar, and sometimes
they present a guitar program at the church. In
past years, he played hymns on the guitar during
Mass. He has served on the vestry, and still serves
on the foundation that handles the church’s fi-
nancial investments.
“I can’t imagine going through life without a
church family,” he said. It’s another of his many
connections.
He makes time for his friends, who also keep
him connected.
“When my father took ill, he had dementia,
and because of that we had a falling out –strictly
due to the disease,” Pierce said. “Damon was so
supportive of both of us and concerned for us.
He’s a very compassionate guy.”
40 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
When Edward Kotyk began working at the city of Aztec in 1999, the city didn’t have a website.
He helped to create one. Today, it’s a resource for tourists from all over the world and for residents who
want to explore arches, find archeological and recreation sites, and discover other outdoor activities
available in and near the Four Corners area.
“I’ve tried to make the Aztec tourism website very comprehensive so it’s a one-stop shop for any
visitors or local people who want to know more,” Kotyk said. “They don’t have to spend so much time
surfing because they can get all the information at one location.”
Documenting the past for future generations
Photo by Whitney Howle
Story by Margaret Cheasebro
Edward Kotyk creates comprehensive records of area Arches, ruins
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Archeology background
Kotyk has an archeology background, and for
13 years he worked full time as an archeologist
before becoming a computer technician for the
city of Aztec. He learned about the job from a
friend who worked at the city while he was earn-
ing his associate degree in computer technology
from San Juan College in 1998.
“She was the city’s IT director, and she was
tasked with getting the city a website,” he said.
“She didn’t know anything about designing a
website. I always learn hands on. I get software.
I’m self-taught. I experimented and played, and I
helped set up and create the city’s first website.
It was an ugly thing, but over time, my skills got
better in Web page design.”
Now he works in the projects management de-
partment. Part of his job involves developing
long and short range plans, gathering and sharing
data with other city departments, overseeing the
use of the GIS (Geographic Information System),
and developing and maintaining the city’s three
websites, www.actecnm.com, which provides
tourism information; www.actecnm.gov, which fo-
cuses on government related knowledge about
the city; and www.azteclibrary.org, the Aztec
Public Library’s site.
Edward is amazing
“Edward is just amazing. He is so good at what
he does,” said Wilann Thomas, tourism and mar-
keting supervisor for the city of Aztec. “He keeps
the websites going steadily. The number of visi-
tors to the sites continues to increase.”
Kotyk and his wife, Neykar, spend many week-
ends and vacations exploring interesting sites in
the Four Corners area. He takes photos, gets the
GIS coordinates, includes information on the
tourism website about how to get there, and
provides links to other sites, such as the Bureau
of Land Management, National Park Service and
the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, which offer
even more information.
When he first began exploring what the area
had to offer, he visited sites within a 50-mile ra-
dius of Aztec. He added information about them
to the website, including how many miles each
place is from Aztec. The website even includes
suggested day trip itineraries. Later he expanded
the areas he visited to a 150-mile radius of
Aztec. That information is on the website too.
Warehouse of knowledge
“If somebody gets to the website, they might
say, ‘Wow! These people have a lot of informa-
tion,’” he said. “We could be the warehouse of
knowledge for what there is to do in the Four
Corners area.”
And people do visit the site. Kotyk met one
of those visitors, a hiker, when he explored the
Bisti Wilderness Area. He told him about the
tourist information on the city’s website.
“He periodically checks it,” Edward said. “The
last time I saw him, he told me, ‘That’s a really
cool website. I’m going to share it with my
friends.’”
Kotyk frequently updates the website’s photos
and information. “I’ve found things in 2014 that I
didn’t see in 2013,” he said. “The topography
and terrain are always changing. The lighting and
time of day, the seasons all make a difference.
Things always change.”
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 43
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And he frequently learns new things from people
he meets.
Where are the Cracked Eggs?
“This past summer I did a lot of trips to the
Bisti,” he said. “There’s just not enough information
out there about the Bisti in terms of hot spots. You
get on the Web, and someone will say, ‘I saw this
or that, I saw the Cracked Eggs.’ For years I went
out there and didn’t know the Cracked Eggs were
there. I bumped into someone a few years back
when my wife and I were wandering around the
Bisti, and he said, ‘Are you looking for the cracked
eggs?’ I’m thinking dinosaur eggs or something. It
piqued my interest. He was a foreigner. He’d come
all this way to look for something that I didn’t
know anything about.”
So Kotyk researched the Cracked Eggs, also
called the Alien Hatchery. One site gave the GPS
coordinates, so he was able to find it at a place
deeper in the Bisti than he’d ever gone. The eye
catching shapes are made of sandstone and eroding
bentonite clay.
“The clay silty stuff around the sandstone
eroded away and left almost a pedestal,” he ex-
plained. “A few of them look like eggs that have
been cracked open.”
Names unidentified sites
As he continued to explore the Bisti, he found
formations that had never been documented by
anyone, so he named them and included GIS in-
formation on the Aztec website for how to find
them. He calls two of them the Seal and the Os-
trich. A well-known formation, the Bisti Arch, he
likes to call Dragon’s Head because the arch
looks to him like a dragon’s eye surrounded by
the eyebrow and mouth.
Another hiker in the Bisti told him about Ly-
brook Badlands, an area Kotyk had heard of but
never explored. “He said the area would make a
good photographic opportunity,” said Kotyk.
“That made me want to visit it.”
Wife encourages his interests
His wife encourages his photography hobby.
One year she bought him a fancier digital cam-
era. It’s a single-lens reflex that lets him change
Goblin Valley - Utah
Calf Creek Falls - Utah
Francis Canyon Pueblito - New Mexico
Bisti Wilderness - New Mexico
Lybrook Badlands - New Mexico
La Plata Canyon - Colorado
Bisti Wilderness - New Mexico
Ditch Canyon - Octopus Arch
Bryce Canyon - Utah
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the lenses. “She said I needed a manly cam-
era, something bigger and better,” he said.
Now he has a telephoto and a regular lens
and hopes to buy a macro lens for close-up
shots. More recently, his wife bought him a
backpack to hold all his camera equipment.
So Kotyk went prepared when he explored
the Lybrook Badlands.
“The Bisti has a lot of small petite
hoodoos with caps on them,” he said, “but in
Lybrook these things are huge. One hoodoo
is 35 feet tall and about 10-12 feet in diame-
ter.”
Huge hoodoos
One area of the Lybrook Badlands had
spectacular formations and he couldn’t find
any pictures of them on the Internet, so he
called the area Hoodooville. “There are
maybe 30 huge monolithic hoodoos in that
location,” he said. “Many of them are 15 to
20 feet tall. They’re massive. It’s a different
kind of erosion process.” Pointing to a pic-
ture on the website, he said, “This one I call
the Globe or the Orb. It’s a perfectly round
sandstone sitting on a formation that looks
like a hand holding it.”
He also hopes to explore the Angel Peak
area. “It’s supposed to have interesting for-
mations and dinosaur bones,” he said.
He’s found dinosaur bones in the Bisti and
Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness areas. Most are
fragments. When he does find bones, he takes
photos of them and includes a tape measure
to document the size. But he doesn’t provide
location information.
“I don’t want anybody taking them,” he
said. “What you see you leave there. You only
take photographs.”
Documents arches
He’s also been out to Largo Canyon, where
there are many natural arches as well as some
Dinetah pueblitos, which were refugee sites in
northwest New Mexico built by Navajo and
Pueblo people to protect themselves from
Utes and Comanches in the 1600-1700s.
Building on the work of other explorers
who have found arches in 26 nearby canyons,
Kotyk has documented a total of 304 arches
on the Aztec tourism website. The largest
number, 52, were found in Pump Canyon,
while 40 were located in Caballo Canyon and
23 in Slane Canyon. The Cox Canyon Arch,
about 35 feet tall with a 42-foot span, is fea-
tured on top of the tourism website along
with the message, “Welcome to Aztec.”
GPS coordinates for how to find each arch
and aerial view maps are included on the
website along with other facts. At the Aztec
Visitors Center people can get maps that
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 45
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show where the arches are located in each
canyon. Maps of the Bisti Wilderness are also
available.
People won’t get lost
“We’re trying to make the information as
comprehensive as possible so people won’t
go out there and get lost or spend the entire
day and not find the arch,” Kotyk said.
Though he’s found tiny arches all over the
place, he won’t put them on the website un-
less he can crawl through them.
“It’s the big ones or the ones that are re-
ally unique to look at that are the ones you
want people to see,” he said. “We’re looking
for the wow factor because of the size, the
way they’re shaped, or the way they look.”
Among those are the Crab, Burro,
Rooftop, Snake Head, Bridge of Wonder,
Medusa Head, and Octopus arches, all named
for what they resemble.
Formal arch tours
Community Development Director Bill
Homka, who heads up the city’s tourism de-
partment, wants to develop formal arch tours.
“I hope to have the tours on line this sum-
mer,” Homka said. “We’re coordinating with
Ed and his knowledge of the arches and my
business acumen so it will run as a business.
Ed has taken his free time to find where these
arches are. He’ll know where the best ones
are. He’ll help us put together the actual nar-
ration, what the guides will say. We want to
maximize the fact that the arches are here.”
The tours, he said, could take four or five
hours, and the hope is that tourists will stay
an extra day in Aztec to enjoy other attrac-
tions such as the Aztec Ruins National Monu-
ment and fishing, hiking, and shopping.
Once the tours are a viable operation,
Homka would like a private business to step in
and take over the arch tours from the city.
“We don’t want to be the ones giving the
tours forever,” he said. “I think it’s a two or
three year process to see if it’s going to
work.”
Something for everyone
Wilann has helped to develop pages on the
tourism website that promote products such
as local historian Marilu Waybourn’s book on
abandoned communities and cemeteries.
“Maybe the wife is interested in abandoned
communities while her husband wants to fly
fish,” Kotyk said. “We want a website that is
very diverse and that offers all these things.
We need to provide visitors with the opportu-
nity to have a good time, to enjoy their visit
and come back again. If we don’t provide
that, people are just going to drive on
through.”
For Kotyk, the website is a labor of love.
“There’s still a lot more exploring for me to
do,” he said. “I like traveling, photography
and promoting Aztec.”
“We need to provide visitors with the opportunity to have a good time, to enjoy their visit
and come back again.”— Edward Kotyk
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he wanted to be a part of the “family business.” He chose the Fire Science program at San Juan College and has landed his dream job with the Farmington Fire Department.
Your Dream Tyler White’s father was a Hot Shot, a speci�cally trained �re �ghter to respond to wildland �res in remote regions. White also has numerous cousins who are �re�ghters and he always had a dream to continue that legacy.
“Growing up in a family full of �re �ghters made it easy for me to decide what career I wanted for myself. I knew I wanted to be a �re�ghter from a very young age,” White said. “San Juan College helped me get my foot in the door and helped me land my dream job.”
Your FutureWhite is now a �re�ghter with the Farmington Fire Department at Station 4, where he gets the chance to work with one of his SJC instructors, Captain Mark Milne.
“In classes, Tyler de�nitely made a positive introduction. He worked hard, he was motivated and he was one of the leaders of the class,” Milne said.
“We have a lot of San Juan College graduates at Farmington Fire Department because they come into this job with a lot of knowledge and they are well-rounded especially where problem solving is concerned. �at’s a good foundation to build on,” Engineer Mark Franklin, who also works at Station 4 said.
Our Focus �e Associate of Applied Science degree in Fire Science is designed to give students the essential educa-tion and hands-on training needed for a career in �re�ghting. Students will receive training in the basic concepts of �re�ghting and will participate in actual hands-on evolutions that will give them real experi-ence in the �re�ghting career �eld. Courses are taught by current and former �re�ghters ready to pass on their knowledge. In addition, courses are o�ered in Emergency Medical Services.
For more information about the Fire Science Program, call 505-566-3590 or visit sanjuancollege.edu/�re.
San Juan College –
Fired up for a great career
Ken Triplett has had many goals in his life.
Being an Internet sensation has never been one
of them.
The 84-year-old made a fire pit for his
granddaughter, Jennifer Allison, for Christmas
last year. Triplett had made a pit for his daugh-
ter – and Jennifer’s mother – Lori Allison, after
Lori had seen a photo of one online. The fire
pit was a hit with Triplett’s family, and Jennifer
decided her own fire pit would make the per-
fect Christmas gift.
Jennifer had seen photos of similar fire pits
that looked like the Death Star, but she was
convinced her grandfather could make the best
one. “I told him he could totally make it and it
would be so cool,” Jennifer said in a phone in-
terview from her home in Oregon. “I figured
he’d probably make (me) one, but he was very
sneaky about it.” Jennifer’s boyfriend is a huge
Star Wars fan, and “It’s (Star Wars) been a big
part of my life,” she explained.
When her grandparents arrived at a family
holiday gathering, the Death Star fire pit was in
Triplett’s truck. Delighted with the Star Wars
design, Jennifer took photos of it and up-
loaded them on Reddit, a popular site where
“redditors” vote on which stories and discus-
sions are important, the website states. The
hottest stories rise to the top. “People were
sharing the photo (of the Death Star fire pit),
48 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Josh Bishop
Ken Triplett’s gift to his granddaughter sets the Internet ablaze
Labor of love
goes viral
and I figured it might be somewhat popular,”
Jennifer said.
It wasn’t long, Jennifer said, before more
than 100 people had uploaded the photo.
“We were happy with a hundred,” Jennifer
said. “But we kept on checking it and it had
grown to 1,000 and by the next day, almost
6,000 people had seen it.”
Jennifer shared the
growing interest of her
grandfather’s work with
her grandmother, who
passed it along to her
grandfather. “He has next
to no idea about social
media and its implica-
tions,” she said.
It wasn’t long before
400 people had com-
mented on the fire pit. A
few days later, the site
ThinkGeek posted a
photo of the fire pit. The
Death Star fire pit had
gone viral – meaning
something becomes very popular in a short
amount of time. Requests for information
about Triplett’s fire pits began coming in and
Jennifer opened a “shop” for the pits on the
popular online shopping site, Etsy.
As the whirlwind of popularity and demand
for the fire pits swirls around him, Triplett is
just enjoying the fact that people appreciate
the art he calls a hobby.
A welder by necessity – he worked for a
family owned oil field drilling and production
company in Kansas in 1958 – when the com-
pany’s one welder couldn’t keep up with the
work in the boom days of the industry,
Triplett was asked if he’d learn to weld.
“I’m a welder by default,” he said, sitting
in a comfortable chair in his Farmington
home. “It was a skilled trade and I didn’t
have any skills.”
When oil and gas lost some of its momen-
tum in Kansas in 1968, Triplett and his wife,
Ginger, moved their family to Farmington.
There was a big boom going on here and he
became a contract welder. He went to work
for Mo-Te where he found more than just
work. “I enjoy working for Mo-Te,” he said.
“They’ve used me ever since we moved here.
Even when I leave to do work, they always
ask me to come back.”
“I’ve been there so long, I’m considered
family,” Triplett added,
with more than a touch of
pride.
It is Triplett’s welding
skills – honed and per-
fected over the years –
that help him create fire
pits that are works of art,
although Triplett is quick
to say he’s not an artist.
Ray Beyale provides the
art for the pit designs.
“All he needs is a photo
of an idea and he draws
it,” Triplett said. Beyale
draws the designs on iron
with white soapstone and
Triplett cuts away everything in white.
When Triplett’s daughter Lori and Jennifer’s
mother, wanted a fire pit, there was no ques-
tion as to the design. “Lori loves Disneyland
and Ray drew pictures of Mickey, Minnie,
Pluto and Goofy,” Triplett said, adding that
the designs are created in quarters and
50 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 51
on a round ball. The pits are made from ends of
old propane bottles. Triplett puts two ends of
the discarded bottles together to make a
sphere. Twelve-inch pipes are used for the base
for the pits, giving a six-inch clearance from the
ground.
The designs created by Beyale and finished
by Triplett include a mountain scene, the Denver
Broncos logo along with the famous white horse,
NASCAR teams (one of Triplett’s daughters is a
Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan) and a military design with
two screaming eagles and a soldier, down on
one knee, in prayer.
Beyale can create the design from any photo,
Triplett said, which makes the work enjoyable.
The fire pits come in two sizes. The smaller
one is 30 inches wide and 33 inches tall and
sells for $1,400. The larger one is 37 ½ inches
wide and 41 inches tall and sells for $1,600.
The fire pits have drawn national and interna-
tional interest. Inquiries have come from all over
the U.S. and from Japan, France and “one of
those Spanish-speaking countries,” Triplett said.
He sold a pit to a Canadian; however, the cost
of shipping was high and Triplett is working with
the customer to share the shipping costs.
It’s not the money the fire pits bring in that
Triplett cares about. With his wife, Ginger, han-
dling the bookkeeping and his granddaughter,
Jennifer, taking care of the marketing, Triplett
simply enjoys working with his friend to create
the art. While there are many others creating
similar fire pits, the thought, the time and the
love Triplett puts into his pits makes each of
them special – if only to him.
“I have no idea where this is going to go
from here,” Triplett said. “But I’ll do it as long
as I can.”
At the age of 84, with an idea that went viral
and captured the interest of thousands, Triplett
and his grandson John Moore will head to
Phoenix for a NASCAR race in March or Novem-
ber, with fire pits designed for NASCAR fans. He
plans to load his pickup with the fire pits and,
he hopes, sell them.
“My grandson said NASCAR fans will buy any-
thing,” Triplett said with a laugh. “I guess I’ll
find out.”
About seven years ago, Bruce Bowen bought
an airplane kit. The kit Bowen purchased was
$14,000 and isn’t the kind you’ll find at a
hobby store.
A licensed pilot since 1986, Bowen, who
received his instrument rating in 2006, drove
to Nampa, Idaho, and picked up his kit, which
fit comfortably in the back of his pickup truck.
“I always wanted my own airplane that I
could fly out of my own backyard,” Bowen
said. The Ridge Runner kit he purchased came
with the airframe prepared for folding wings,
seat belt and shoulder harness, hardware, fab-
ric and tapes, wheels and tires. “The engine,
instruments and propeller were extra,” Bowen
said with a laugh.
The kit wasn’t the only thing Bowen brought
home on that trip, however. A black and white
cat made friends with him as he loaded the kit.
After several days on the road, Bowen got to
his home in Bloomfield and lifted the hood of
his truck – only to find the cat resting on the
engine. “I named her ‘Purretta,’ and she al-
lowed me to occupy her garage until I got the
plane finished,” Bowen said with a laugh.
Bowen’s wife was diagnosed with cancer
shortly after, and Bowen became her full time
Seven years of
just plane fun
52 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Whitney Howle
Bruce Bowen’s Spruce Broose is done and ready to fly
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 53
caregiver. The plane sat in his three-car garage
for more than two years, taking a back seat to
his wife’s needs. After she passed away, Bowen
returned to his garage and his airplane, which
helped him heal from the pain of losing his
wife.
The Ridge Runner is similar to a bush air-
plane, Bowen explained, which is often used to
fly to remote areas and requires shorter land-
ing strips than most airplanes. With just two
seats in the plane – one for the pilot and one
for a passenger – the seats are placed tandem
style, in the middle of the cockpit, which gives
the pilot a center view and, Bowen said, makes
it easier to fly.
The plane weighs about 500 pounds and
took Bowen seven years to complete. The kit
came with one fuel tank, but Bowen added
three more, and he customized the protective
paint on the plane, adding an additional three
coats to the three suggested by the manufac-
turer. It was the flaps and ailerons that pro-
vided the most challenge, Bowen said. The
flaps and ailerons are connected to the back-
side of the wings. The flaps hinge back and
down to increase the surface of the wing area.
They also tilt down to increase the curve of the
wing.
“I had to design and figure materials and
how to do everything,” Bowen explained of
the flaps and ailerons. “It took me as long to
build each one of them as it did each wing.”
Bowen spent more than 2,000 hours put-
ting the plane together. With much of the work
now completed, he has moved into a hangar at
the Aztec Airport, which he shares with a
friend. And while the plane is ready to fly, the
pilot – not so much.
The airplane is a tail wheel plane, which has
an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main
wheels forward of the center of gravity and a
small wheel to support the tail. “A tail wheel
airplane is different from other airplanes that
have tricycle wheels,” Bowen explained. “Tricy-
cle wheels naturally go straight, but a tail wheel
plane wants to do anything but go straight.”
Getting used to an airplane with two wheels
in front and one “tail dragger” wheel in the
rear takes time and patience, Bowen said. The
plane can be challenging to control on the
ground while taxing, and during takeoffs and
landings, because the center of gravity wants
the tail to go first, which can turn the airplane
sideways, then backward. That maneuver is
called a “groundloop”and can be dangerous as
well as destructive.
While the plane has been certified for its
airworthiness, Bowen has no idea how the
plane will fly once it’s in the air. “I’m excited
to fly it, but I’m not in a hurry,” he admitted.
“I want to fly it right when I do fly it.”
Gordon Herra is a friend of Bowen’s as well
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54 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
as a fan of experimental airplanes. Herra met
Bowen in 1994, when Bowen attended a
church Herra was pastoring.
“I already had my Avid Mark IV experimental
plane,” Herra said, adding it was the cost of
flying commercially that prompted him to look
at other options. “It was costly to fly (commer-
cial) and to rent a plane was $100 an hour.
By buying a plane, even though the initial cost
is pricy, you make it up in maintenance and
hangar fees.”
Herra’s plane is a similar plane to Bowen’s
Ridge Runner. “With a home-built plane, you
can work on it yourself. I have a repair license
from the FAA, which authorizes me to work on
my own plane, so I don’t have mechanic fees.”
If Bowen wanted an experimental plane to
fly out of his backyard, Herra plans to do his
takeoffs and landings from his driveway. “My
driveway is 300 feet long and wide enough,”
he said, adding that an experimental airplane
allows you to take advantage of smaller run-
ways – or, in his case, driveways.
Those who are considering purchasing a
home built/kit airplane should know there are
advantages and disadvantages, Herra said. “You
need enough space and you need an empty
hangar. You’ll have pieces (of the plane) all
over the place, and sometimes, just sticking
with it when you’re not getting it done fast
enough.”
“And it can be tedious work,” Herra added.
“Nothing (on the plane) can be wrong – it all
has to be right, because your life depends on
it. And it always costs more than you think it
will.”
Because Bowen doesn’t know how his air-
plane will handle in the air, he spends much of
his time maneuvering the plane around the air-
port, getting used to how the tail wheel feels.
He has thought about finding a test pilot –
one who has experience with this particular tail
wheeled airplane – to take that first flight. “A
test pilot would know what it’s supposed to
do and feel like, and I don’t,” he said.
Herra said he understands Bowen’s reluc-
tance to put his plane in the air. “I ran up and
down the runway for two-and-a-half to three
hours,” he said.
“Then I got sick and tired of keeping it on
the ground. Once I lifted off the runway,
there’s no staying on the ground anymore. I
love the way it flies.”
“It takes quite a bit of courage to lift off
the first time,” Herra said. “You don’t know if
it’s going to hold together, even though you’ve
gone over it (the plane) 50,000 times.”
In spite of the time he’s spent working on
the airplane, Bowen’s bride of almost two
years, Karen, is supportive of her husband’s
passion for the plane. The couple had been
dating for some time when Bowen suggested
Karen take a look at his experimental airplane.
“He said ‘I think we need to see if you fit’ in
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 55
the passenger seat,” Karen said with a laugh.
She did fit and, even though she’s a slightly
built woman, her extra weight will increase the
challenge when Bowen flies it, she added.
As the plane neared completion, the couple
decided to have a plane naming party with
more than 55 of their closest friends. With
some 50 suggested names coming from the
partiers, they voted to name the plane the
“Spruce Broose.”
Bowen’s pride in The Spruce Broose is evi-
dent as he walks around the plane, testing
hoses and checking for imperfections. The
plane has the word “experimental” on one side
window, a requirement by the Federal Aviation
Administration, which also requires a certified
initial inspection of the plane. As the owner
and manufacturer of the plane, in the future,
Bowen will do annual inspections himself. If,
however, he sells the plane or gives it away,
the next owner will have to have an FAA in-
spector conduct the inspection.
Building the Spruce Broose has been a labor
of love for Bowen. He encourages anyone who
has the patience, the time and the determina-
tion to build an airplane subscribe to Kit
Planes magazine, which lists all kits available.
“It’s been lot more education than recreation,”
Bowen said of his project. “But it’s worth it in
the long run.”
“I’m excited to fly it, but I’m not in a hurry.
— Bruce Bowen
Everyone is born with a unique talent, but not
every talent is destined to receive international
acclaim or to be showcased on the world’s stage.
Hers was. Cherise Lukow shares the gift of her
spectacular voice with the world.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine be-
coming an opera singer. I always say opera chose
me,” Lukow said.
Indeed, who could have predicted this
woman’s incredible destiny to sing soprano roles
in operas, with an international career, perform-
ing on the world’s most famous and historic
stages?
Yet that is exactly what is happening for the
28-year-old who, for the past five years, has
been living in France and performing around the
globe.
Cherise’s rapid rise to the top of the opera
world is the stuff of dreams and legends, but
Cherise’s story begins here in the Four Corners.
The daughter of a local school counselor and
homemaker grew up in Kirtland in the 1990’s
with three other siblings. Cherise had a typical,
and happy, childhood. She was the archetype of
an all-American girl – an excellent student and a
talented athlete who exceled in high school
sports including track, soccer and basketball.
Cherise had that special something
She may have been a hometown girl in those
days, but those who knew her remember how
there was something undeniable about Cherise.
“She was just one of those special kids,”
muses former voice coach Virginia Hircoch-Nick-
els. Nickels, choir director at Piedra Vista High
School, remembers Cherise as a mature, deter-
mined student who knew what she wanted and
invested the time and effort to achieve the goals
she set for herself.
Looking for a creative outlet, Cherise began
private voice lessons as a junior. “She would
come to lessons after soccer practice, hair in a
sweaty ponytail and still wearing her shin guards,”
recalls Nickels laughing.
Cherise began developing her voice by learn-
ing soprano art songs and arias. “I would re-
search online and check out books and musical
scores at the library to teach myself new pieces,”
she said.
Her journey as a vocal performance artist had
begun.
56 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
Story by Elizabeth Pettyjohn-Broten | Courtesy photos
Unwavering courage, timeless beauty and a phenomenal voicetakes Kirtland native on an amazing journey
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SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 57
The difference between a musician and a
singer is instrumental, meaning a musician per-
fects their ability to play an instrument;
whereas, a singer’s voice is their instrument.
“To pursue the higher levels of vocal per-
formance arts, you must really like the sound of
your own voice. Most people do not enjoy
hearing even their speaking voices on a record-
ing. A singer hears the truth about their voice
and continues developing, strengthening, and
perfecting it. Succeeding as a vocal artist re-
quires a very solid self-confidence. Even as a
teenager, Cherise had this gift,” Nickels said.
Moved to Paris in 2010
After receiving a Bachelor’s of Music from
University of Texas Austin, Cherise chose to
continue her musical studies at Ecole Normale
de Musique de Paris and moved to France in
2010. Since then, she has trained with some of
the most elite programs across Europe, includ-
ing Austria, Italy, and Spain. Although she ad-
mits to being absolutely terrified to relocate
halfway across the globe, she knew complete
cultural immersion was the only course toward
realizing her professional goals.
As a person of faith, she trusted that each
step of her journey was being guided from
above. Cherise is now fluent in French and con-
tinues diligent study of the Italian and German
languages for performances.
In 2012, Cherise auditioned and won a cov-
eted seat in a summer apprenticeship called
The Stars of Tomorrow at the Santa Fe Opera.
Santa Fe Opera is a formidable presence on
the international opera scene, and the oldest
opera training program in the Unites States. In-
terestingly, while the Santa Fe program accepts
only the top students from around the world,
Cherise is the only New Mexican to have been
selected.
David Holloway, director of the Apprentice-
ship Program at Santa Fe Opera, recalls
Cherise. “Her voice was high, rich, and full of
substance. She also had several special qualities
which make her unique as an artist. She has an
extraordinary stage presence, a very high reper-
toire, and a mature, business-minded approach
to her studies. The possibilities for Cherise are
endless.”
Royal College of Music in London
Balancing a busy schedule of performances,
Cherise also now attends the prestigious Royal
College of Music in London studying for a Mas-
ter’s of Performance. Founded in 1882 by the
Prince of Wales, the Royal College of Music is
one of the world’s most renowned musical con-
servatories, training gifted musicians for interna-
tional careers as performers, conductors and
composers.
Cherise’s flourishing as an artist in Europe is
evident in an impressive accumulation of acco-
lades, awards, and scholarships. Her voice,
praised by critics for its strength and timbre,
has reached an unimaginable level of acclaim on
the opera scene. With a vocal virtuosity ranging
to G above high C, Cherise is considered a
“coloratura soprano,” an elite vocal classifica-
tion placing her in the hallowed company of
opera legends such as Maria Callas. The physi-
ology of the human vocal chords make a col-
oratura soprano’s voice the rarest – most
one-in-a-million – combination of both agility
and power.
Yes, Cherise was born with raw natural tal-
ent.
Unwavering courage
Consider the following facts: She has sung
classical music for only about 10 years. She
learned to read sheet music only in college! Her
first exposure to opera was not in her formida-
ble childhood years of brain development, but
later in adolescence. When asked what factors
she believes were essential to her success, she
says she was blessed with a good ear, and that
living in our high elevation and being an athlete
in her youth increased her lung and vocal ca-
pacities and muscle memory.
Another obvious advantage contributing to
her success is her exceptional beauty. Cherise
has the voice and the face of an angel. One
critic labeled her “the doll incarnate.” “It’s
true, admits David Holloway, “her exotic looks
make her extremely castable.”
58 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
However, Cherise’s success is not merely due
to natural talent, physical beauty, or luck, despite
what Hollywood, the pop music industry, and our
culture at large would have us believe. To pursue
the top tiers of professional artistry, extraordi-
nary natural talent is, of course, necessary. How-
ever, it is even more the unwavering courage to
push past fear and personal insecurities. It is the
almost ascetic self-discipline to accept the many
sacrifices required along the way. It is having a
passion so deep that a person is willing to dedi-
cate the hours, days, and years of one’s lifetime
toward achieving artistic perfection. Few are will-
ing to accept these terms, which is why the few
who achieve greatness are so remarkable, so leg-
endary, and so very fascinating to the rest of us.
The description she gives for a typical day in
the life of Cherise Lukow demonstrates the
courage, discipline, and passion of a true artist.
For her, learning a new piece is much as you
might imagine an actor prepares for a role.
Singing a part is playing a character. She does her
homework and researches the historical compo-
nents and significance of the piece. Knowing the
historical context is essential to understanding
anything – in art or in life.
Most pieces have to be translated from the
original; hence her study of language. An artist
must analyze and deconstruct a character to
begin understanding the psyche of a character
and to be able to execute/perform on stage. She
must of course memorize the words of the
piece/script. Her mind is freshest in the morning,
she says, and best able to concentrate.
An artist also must listen and consider sepa-
rately the intentions and desires of both the
composer of the music who has written the li-
bretto and the poet of the operatic piece.
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SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 59
Lastly, an artist researches how the piece has tra-
ditionally been performed and makes the perilous
decision of when/how/why to take any creative or
artistic liberties. It is a fascinating process.
Dyslexcia
Cherise has another interesting advantage/dis-
advantage – depending upon how you choose to
see the world. She is dyslexic, which requires her
to be very intentional and deliberate when em-
barking upon a new piece.
Turning possible disadvantages/setbacks into
opportunities is yet another thing Cherise does
well. When asked her if she has any stage fright or
performance anxiety, she answers with a consid-
ered response. “I try to harness and transform any
nervous body or nerve issues into positive energy.
By the time it is time to perform, the hard work is
done. The performance is the fun part of sharing
my gift.”
While art imitates life, art is also an escape
from life.
"As a vocal artist, I seek entry into the hearts
of my audience. I wish to penetrate those walls
that encase the human spirit. It is in those pre-
cious moments of performance that we trick the
tumblers of natural law and perform miracles of
knowing.”
While visiting her family in 2011 and again in
2014, Cherise performed at the Christmas Eve
Services at Piñon Hills Community Church. Com-
munity members who saw the performance can
testify that her performances do indeed penetrate
the hearts of her audience.
“Cherise Lukow, along with her family, are part
of the Piñon Hills Community Church family. We
are so proud of her and honored that she shares
her beautiful voice with us when she comes home.
This year she gave a phenomenal performance,“
says Rachel Corley, Creative Arts Director at
Piñon Hills Community Church.
Cherise has also given performances at San Juan
College’s Little Theatre. Despite her international
success and ZIP code, she is still a hometown girl.
We all have a destiny and a purpose. The story
of Cherise’s gift should inspire us all to share our
own gifts, big or small or whatever they may be,
with the world. This is, perhaps, the most lingering
legacy of a true artist.
When Jenny Lambert walks into a classroom
at the San Juan College Adult Basic Education,
or ABE, program, she sees more than just the
faces of the students. She sees anxiety, a lot of
determination and a sense of hope.
Estrella DeYapp is one of those students.
DeYapp didn’t graduate from high school and
decided in March of 2014, that it was time she
got her GED ®. “I wanted to better my life for
me and my children,” DeYapp explained. “It’s
always been a goal of mine (to get a GED ®)
and I decided it was time.”
With two young children at home, Alissa, 7,
and Johnathon, 6, and the owner of Estrella’s
Kitchen, DeYapp took on the challenges of
going back to school. “I love it,” DeYapp said
of ABE. “The teachers are wonderful and
they’re very hands on.”
Most of the students are like DeYapp, Lam-
bert said, with many of them in their early to
mid-20s, and getting into the program requires
more than just showing up for class. While tak-
ing the GED ® program is free, students must
commit themselves to studying to pass the final
exam, which costs about $120, Lambert ex-
plained. The New 2014 GED® Test consists of
four tests – different tests – Language
Arts/Reading, Science, Social Studies, and
Math. The cost to take each test is $30.
But it isn’t just the academics Lambert and
her staff provide. “We treat them like adults,”
she said, “and we care about them. We instill
self-confidence in our students and we’re ad-
vocates for their academic skills and encourage
them to pursue their dream of achieving high
school credentials.”
60 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Whitney Howle
Jenny Lambert, college adult education classes improve people’s lives
Making adifference
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62 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
DeYapp said she didn’t finish high school
because the she felt the teachers weren’t as
hands on and gave little one-on-one time. “I
didn’t get everything I needed in high school,”
DeYapp said. “But here (at ABE), the staff is
very understanding and willing to help.”
“It’s wonderful,” DeYapp said about the
program. “We’re like a little community here
and when someone’s gone, we really miss
them.”
Because of students such as DeYapp, and
because of the hard work, effort and commit-
ment Lambert and her staff give to the students
in the program; the San Juan College Adult
Basic Education Program was honored as the
Outstanding Program of the Year by the New
Mexico Higher Education Department in No-
vember of 2014.
Frances Bannowsky, the state director of the
New Mexico Higher Education Department, said
the San Juan College program was selected for
the honor because of its focus on strengthen-
ing student outcomes and for gaining momen-
tum moving through 2013-2014. The staff im-
proved orientation in Adult Education and Eng-
lish for Speakers of Other Languages, or
ESOL, piloted college prep courses in collabo-
ration with San Juan College, and piloted dis-
tance learning.
“The program is focusing on Professional
Development, especially for teachers, with at-
tention to the teaching shifts made necessary
by new High School Equivalency tests,” Ban-
nowksy said in presenting the award.
Michelle Brandon is the senior director of
the San Juan College Student Success Center
and has high praise for Lambert and her staff.
“In the two years since Jenny began leading
the Adult Education program, wonderful things
have happened, culminating in their recent
statewide recognition as the Outstanding Pro-
gram of the Year,” Brandon said. “Much of the
program’s success reflects her (Lambert’s) inclu-
sive leadership style. Jenny articulates a clear
vision for her program and involves her team in
developing strategies to support that vision.
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 63
She trusts the expertise of her team and their
commitment to our students.”
“At the same time,” Brandon continued, “she
has invested wisely in personal and professional
development opportunities for her staff to grow
their skills and build the team’s capacity. As a
result, the team has been able to improve pro-
gram practices, take on new challenges – like
the new College Prep program – and increase
student success.”
Lambert’s path to success at San Juan College
was a long one. A native of Switzerland, Lambert
was targeted by European schools to be a math
and science teacher. Math and science, however,
weren’t Lambert’s career choice. She moved to
the United States as an exchange student and
began her undergraduate studies at the Univer-
sity of New Mexico. She transferred to San
Diego State University to complete her degree
because her husband (now deceased) was in the
Navy. Later on, she received her master’s degree
from a school based out of Pasadena, Calif. “I
started my undergraduate studies at UNM and
transferred to San Diego State University to
complete my degree since my now deceased
husband was in the Navy. Later on, I pursued my
master’s degree and obtained my graduate de-
gree from a school based out of Pasadena, Cali-
fornia.
“Then my husband decided to enter pilot
training and we came here (to Farmington),” she
said with a laugh. “I came here for someone
else’s education, and it turned out to be an
amazing place for me, professionally.”
From the mountainous beauty of the Swiss
Alps to the desert beauty of New Mexico, Lam-
bert said that, now, she can’t imagine living any-
where else – and there is no desire to return to
Switzerland. “I love it here,” she said of Farming-
ton. “I work with an incredible team (at ABE)
and they’ve embraced my crazy ideas. This is my
happy place and the people here believe in
me.”
“We really do amazing things with only five of
us (on staff) and we serve between 650-850
students,” Lambert added. “And all of us, as dif-
ferent as we all are – have the same vision and
we make it work.”
Pausing and reflecting for a few minutes, Lam-
bert said, “I believe if I don’t make a difference
in this world, I’ve missed something. And in this
country, you can make a difference.”
Estrella DeYapp is quick to say Lambert and
her staff are, indeed, making a difference. The
young teen who didn’t finish high school is now
determined to get her high school certification
for her children and herself. “My goal is to get
my diploma and be an inspiration to my kids,”
DeYapp said. “Because I’m going to school,
they’re more into school themselves.”
But it’s not just her children DeYapp hopes
to inspire and to help. Her vision and her goals
are as attainable as those of the instructors who
teach her. “I want to have a food truck and
work with the state and the homeless,” DeYapp
said, “so nobody goes hungry.”
MLCoolest Things
Cool, like beauty, is in the eye and age of
the beholder. Things we thought were cool
as kids, many times are just plain silly now.
Or, we’ve just not waited long enough for
time to come full circle so that they become
cool again. Except for toe socks, they are
never cool or fun. The only theme
running through our selections this time is
that we want to buy them. Better yet, we
want them as a gift!
Themeless Fun
NO, YOU’RE NOT JUST
HOLDING A STICK IN THE AIR
The Air Umbrella
www.amazon.com
If it’s pouring rain and you don’t have a
regular umbrella, your options were once
only to grapple with a stranger who does
own an umbrella or put your coat over
your head and run. Now you have a third
option that keeps your face dry in a more
elegant fashion. The Air Umbrella is es-
sentially a battery-powered fan that wafts
away any pesky raindrops near your
face. There are various sizes and prices
available. You may get some weird looks
from passersby who think you are either
channeling Charlie Chaplin or you have
completely lost your mind.
$65 to $100
1ARE YOUR DOGS PLAYING
POKER WHILE YOU’RE OUT?
The Petcube
www.amazon.com
www. Fab.com
The Petcube is like a baby monitor for
your pets – but better. The device has a
built-in camera, a laser, and a speaker
for engaging your pets. The device live-
streams video of the room it’s in. When
streaming video, if you interact with the
touch screen of your smartphone, the
built-in laser is activated and you can
play with your pets as they follow the
light around. If your pet is getting into
mischief, the app also allows you to talk
to them through the cube and tell them to
cut it out.
$199
2MORE THAN JUST
A PACIFIER
Pacif-i
www. bluemaestro.com
www.thegadgetflow.com
The new Pacif-i looks like a regular paci-
fier, but is actually a smart device for in-
fants and toddlers that measures a
baby's temperature and transmits that
data to a connected app for Android or
iPhone using Bluetooth Low Energy.
In the app, parents can add medication
information such as type, dosage and
when the medication was last given. The
Pacif-i also has a built-in tracker, so we
hope you'll never lose it.
$40
3FORGETFUL FOLKS
REJOICE!
TrackR Bravo
www.thetrackr.com
The new TrackR Bravo helps locate your
missing items with an easy-to-use iOS and
Android app.
The small tracking device attaches to your
keys, purse, computer or even pet. The
small hole at the top of the TrackR Bravo
allows you to insert a key ring or string, but
you can also stick it onto an item using an
included adhesive sticker.
At 3.5mm thin, it's as small as a tasteful
souvenir keychain, and its sturdy alu-
minum exterior helps keep it protected.
TrackRs are available in a variety of colors.
Starts at $29
4
64 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015
1 2
3
4
SPIES LIKE US
SnapCam
www.engadget.com
The new SnapCam is far smaller and
lighter than previous versions, measuring
1.5 inches square and weighing a little
more than an ounce. With just a swipe
on the body, the camera kicks on, and
with a single tap, captures an 8-
megapixel photo. Tap it twice and it starts
recording 720p HD video at 30 frames
per second, and another tap stops it. A
triple tap starts it live-streaming video
using its built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The SnapCam comes in gunmetal
gray, black or white for about $150.
5YOU SAY TOMATO —
I SAY YES PLEASE!
Rolling Self-Watering Tomato Planter
With Tower
www.plowhearth.com
Now it's easier than ever to grow and
enjoy luscious, homegrown tomatoes.
This lightweight, portable tomato planter
is self-watering with built-in overflow, so
your tomatoes always get the proper
amount of water. Included Tomato Tower
provides sturdy steel support for heavy
vines. Just add potting soil and Plant
Food to the polypropylene tub. Roll the
tub wherever it's convenient or where
plants can get the most sun. Sizes vary.
$19.99 to $59.95
6THOU SHALT
SIGNETH A MEMO
Knight Pen Holder
www.thinkgeek.com
The Knight Pen Holder’s outstretched
hands are sized to cradle a pen – in-
cluded – so you simply set the quill back
down after gracing your memo with your
royal signature. It can, of course, take
other pens, too, so if you’re not a fan of
Cross Standard Ballpoint Refills (which is
what the “royal pen” uses), you can com-
pel the knight to offer you something else
to sign royal decrees. Awesome present
for medieval-loving coworkers, just
sayin’.
$29.99
7THIS ONE MEASURES UP!
All-in-One Kitchen Tool Set
www.momastore.org
Running out of kitchen storage space?
Here’s your answer. The All-in-One
Kitchen Tool Set has almost everything
for your culinary needs. This clever kit
contains a funnel, lemon juicer, spice
grater, egg masher, cheese grater, a lid
grip to loosen jar tops, an egg separator
and a 1 ¼ measuring cup. It is made
from plastic and is only 3.25 inches wide
and 12 inches high, just like my eldest
son who never sees daylight.
$40
8
SPRING 2015 | MAJESTIC LIVING | 65
5
6
78
ADVERTISERS DIRECTORyAllstate Agents .........................................28Viviana Aguirre
900 Sullivan Ave., Farmington
505-327-4888
B J Brown
3030 E Main St., Ste X9. Farmington, NM
505-324-0480
Kelly J. Berhost
1415 W. Aztec Blvd, Ste. 9, Aztec, NM
505-334-6177
Matt Lamoreux
4100 E. Main St., Farmington, NM
505-599-9047
Silvia Ramos
2400 E. 30th St., Farmington, NM
505-327-9667
American Dream Realty .............................67505-566-9901
Animas Credit Union..................................372101 E. 20th St., 3850 E. Main St.
Farmington, N.M.
505-326-7701
405 W. Broadway
Inside Farmer’s Market
Bloomfield, N.M.
www.animascu.com
Armstrong Coury Insurance.......................20
424 E. Main, Farmington, NM
505-327-5077
www.armstrongcouryinsurance.com
Basin Electrical Contractors .......................42
3005 Northridge Dr., Suite K
Farmington, NM
505-327-7525
www.basinelectricnm.com
Beehive Homes.........................................21400 N. Locke, 508 N. Airport
Farmington, N.M.
505-427-3794
The Bridge ...............................................511091 West Murray Dr.
Farmington, NM
505-324-6200
Budget Blinds.............................................2825 N. Sullivan, Farmington, N.M.
505-324-2008
City of Farmington....................................29
Great Lakes Airlines
Farmington, N.M.
1-800-554-5111
www.flygreatlakes.com
Cornerstone Home Lending.......................274802 N. Butler Ave., Suite 13101
Farmington, N.M.
505-608-7020
www.farmingtonhouseloans.com
DeNae’s Boutique.....................................57
3030 E. Main
Farmington, N.M.
505-326-6025
Dentless Image LLC...................................431509 Schofield Lane, Suite C
Farmington, NM
505-592-2603
Deser t Hills Dental Care ..............................52525 E. 30th St.
Farmington, N.M.
505-327-4863
866-327-4863
www.deserthillsdental.com
Employee Connections, Inc........................192901 E. 20th Street
Farmington, NM
505-324-8877
Farmington Family Dentistry......................32703 N. Dustin Ave.
Farmington, NM
505-564-9700
www.myfarmingtondentist.com
Four Corners Community Bank...................43
Six Convenient Locations
Farmington • Aztec • Cortez
NM 505-327-3222
CO 970-564-8421
www.TheBankForMe.com
Harmony Naprapathic ...............................548100 E. Main St.
Farmington, NM
505-0086
www.harmonynaprapathic.com
Highlands University.................................38
505-566-3552
nmhu.edu/farmington
Jack O. Smalley, DDS..................................372650 E. Pinon Frontage R., #300
Farmington, N.M.
505-327-3331
www.smile42day.com
Kitchen and Bath Artworks ........................25
7525 E. Main St.
Farmington, NM
505-860-8166
Le Petit Salon ...........................................25
406 Broadway, 5150 College Blvd.
Farmington, N.M.
505-325-1214
Lujan Quality Carpet Cleaning ....................19
215-2188
Merle Norman ..........................................13
4337 E. Main St., Suite 202
Farmington, N.M.
505-326-9179
Morgan Stanley/Jim Loleit .........................45
4801 N. Butler
Farmington, N.M.
505-326-9322
www.morganstanleyfa.com/hewettloleitpalmer
Naked Mobile .............................................71-844-BE NAKED (236-2533)
www.mynakedmobile.com
Next Level Home Audio & Video ................39
1510 E. 20th St., Suite A
Farmington, N.M.
505-327-NEXT
www.327NEXT.com
Orthopedic Associates PA .........................152300 E. 30th St., D-10
Farmington, NM
505-327-1400
www.oa-pa.com
Parker’s Inc. Office Products .....................13
714-C W. Main St.
Farmington, N.M.
505-325-8852
www.parkersinc.com
Partners Assisted Living ...........................46313 N. Locke Ave.
Farmington, N.M.
505-325-9600
www.partnerassistedliving.com
Pinon Hills Community Church ...................68
505-325-4541
www.pinonhillschurch.com
Presbyterian Medical Services ...................591001 W. Broadway Ave., Suite E
Farmington, NM
505-327-4796
www.pmsnm.org
Quality Appliance......................................59
522 E. Broadway
Farmington, N.M.
505-327-6271
R.A. Biel Plumbing & Heating ....................55
Farmington, N.M.
505-327-7755
www.rabielplumbing.com
Reliance Medical Group .............................33
3451 N. Butler Avenue
Farmington, N.M.
505-566-1915
1409 West Aztec Blvd.
Aztec, N.M.
505-334-1772
www.reliancemedicalgroup.com
Red Brick Pizza.........................................365150 E. Main, Ste. 113
Farmington, NM
505-326-6222
ReMax of Farmington..................................3108 N. Orchard
Farmington, N.M.
505-327-4777
www.remax.com
San Juan College ......................................47
505-326-3311
www.sanjuancollege.edu
San Juan Nurseries ...................................58800 E. 20th St.
Farmington, N.M.
505-326-0358
www.sanjuannurseries.com
Sanchez and Sanchez Real Estate................4
4301 Largo St. Suite F
Farmington, NM 87402
505-327-9039
Smiles 4 Kids............................................12
Farmington, N.M.
505-592-0226
Southwest Concrete Supply .......................142420 E. Main
Farmington, N.M.
505-325-2333
www.swconcretesupply.com
Southwest Obstetrics and Gynecology........26
634 West Pinon
Farmington, NM
505-325-4898
www.Southwest-OBGYN.net
Sun Glass .................................................53602 West Main Street
Farmington, N.M.
505-327-9677
Sunray Gaming .........................................14On Hwy 64.
Farmington, N.M.
505-566-1200
Tafoya Realty............................................335600 Mickey Dr. B&C
Farmington, NM
505-599-0000
www.tafoyarealty.com
Treadworks .............................................62
4227 E. Main St.
Farmington, N.M.
505-327-0286
4215 Hwy. 64
Kirtland, N.M.
505-598-1055
www.treadworks.com
Ziems Ford/Michelle Brown .......................515700 E. Main
Farmington, N.M.
505-793-2352
www.ziemsfordcorners.com
Ziems Ford ...............................................20
5700 E. Main
Farmington, N.M.
505-325-8826
66 | MAJESTIC LIVING | SPRING 2015